A Starbucks On Every Corner

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/News/AStarbucksOnEveryCorner.aspx

This news article was one of few that caught my eye tonight. As I finished a grueling Ethics test and a 3 hour Economics session, nothing seemed too impressive to me. I finally rolled up on this article, as my interest in America’s obesity problem called my name. I am a fan of Starbuck’s coffee. I think they have one of the best products around and charge a reasonable price. Furthermore, they treat their employees well with great benefits.

The down side to Starbucks: Americans. We know what we want, and usually get it when we want it. We are prone to give into our taste buds’ desires, and instead of doing something healthy for our bodies (like working out in the morning for a boost of energy) we resort to high amounts of caffeine and sugar. My only problem with Starbucks (and restaurants in general for that matter) is that they cater unhealthiness to people. My body works best after a short morning workout, and sometimes when I drink things with high amounts of sugar and caffeine, it has a negative effect on my body.

I don’t feel that we need a Starbucks on every corner. Not in Fort Wayne anyway. It would be great in a city like Chicago or New York, where we are all walking to work most days, but we don’t have a need for one on every corner. I can’t argue that there should be one on the way to work (or five minutes out of the way), but every corner is a little extreme.

Regardless of whether we need Starbucks on every corner, if it is profitable I say let it happen. We have the freedom of choice in this great nation, where we can choose what we eat. In addition, I think that there are other ways to stay in shape than completely refraining from drinking coffee. If I need an afternoon boost, and don’t have time to take a nap, I will grab a quick cup myself. My only problem is America’s view that they need that product. I do think Starbucks is a good idea, but it may have bad results for people as they build an addiction to the product.